(IC) Festival of Heroes 5 - Thrymskvida - Main

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Umbear nuzzles into cuddles before he stands up.

"One last thing... the gods are watching. And placing bets on if we will succeed. Let's be sure to make some god coin change palms. "

He chuckles looking to nameless. As he passes by her he drops a bead in her claw.

"For the horde."

Spoiler: bead

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Bead of Newt prevention

"Come cuddles, I need to stable you with your old trainer."
(1d20+13)[32] handle animal

Umbear stops by tasidar on his way out.

"Sorry for your loss. Everything was done that could be done to prevent her passing, but she has been immortalized as a valkyrie, the spear of odin itself set her pyre aflame. Though regrettable. Her death was a good one"

[Jgraves]

Bramwell looks at Aurix, "Good idea laddie except that I'm no caster," he says watching his example. as Nameless enters his eye goes wide, "Well that's not an everyday occurrence," he then looks at the princess, "Where will I find the lady Viridessa, so I can inquire about a first mate, then I'll be ready te head down under fer the drow with the lady Drasaveil" he finished and looked at the room, "Though I don't know who all ye want te go with me, I'm sure I'll find someone te go"

[Wolfykins]

The warcat stood and moved to follow Umbear, grumbling under her breath.

Nameless sat back on her haunches and accepted the bead with bemusement. She looked over at Aurix curiously.
"A really reliable source? Did you commune with your god since we last talked?" she wondered.

"No, not directly. Horofay said they planned to meet up this morning to come back into town. Horofay left our mark at the meeting site so they would know nothing went wrong if she didn't make it there in time. They won't get here as fast without her, but I expect they can make it to the castle by lunch," Malaika explained.

[Andrew Markham]

Aurix leans down to Nameless. "Maybe even better...my namesake, one of the dragons who was actually there. He was the dragon trapped in Fraener's orb. You'll wanna hear what he told me," Aurix promises.

[Wolfykins]

Nameless' eyes widened, surprise flickering across her expression.
"I heard you shattered the orb, but I had no idea you spoke to the dragon soul that was within it! That's amazing."

[EdgeGrinder]

"Well we seem to be done here. I'll be around if anyone needs me." The Princess adjourned. "Markas, follow me please." She called to Markas.

Geiravor made her way to the warded den with Markas, Mist, and Hrist in tow. After the guards secured the room, Geiravor and Markas went in.

Spoiler: Markas only

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"So Markas... you pretty much know what I want you to do. To clarify, I want you to go to Fjallheim to locate the young Master Glanduilsson. Either convince him to return with you or ensure his safety in another way. Fjallheim is further south of Thurston in the mountains. We have maps to help you get there." The Princess explained.

[paladin_artea]

Markas nodded farewells to all that were gathered then followed the Princess into the warded room. He took a seat opposite her as she opened their one-on-one meeting.

Spoiler: Geiravor only

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Markas nodded in agreement,"The maps would be very appreciated, Your Highness. When I brought this up yesterday, you suggested I seek out Viridessa for some information too. Should I still visit her? Also, Master Glanduilsson and the Dwarf woman I assume to be his guardian were very jittery at my accidentally discovering them. Do you have a letter of introduction, a family crest, or something else I can present to assure them I was sent as your personal emissary and that I am not their enemy?"

[EdgeGrinder]

Spoiler: Markas

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Geiravor nodded, pulling out a wax stamped envelope from a pocket. "Exactly, Markas." She said. "I want you to go back on patrol with Camille and depart from there. You can take an ally or two. The road maybe dangerous. Powerful monsters have been crawling out of the shadows."

[Andrew Markham]

Aurix reaches out with his mind as Geiravor goes to speak with Markas.

Spoiler: Geiravor

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"I'm gonna go look for Unwin. Don't go too far, okay? I'll be right back."

Then Aurix leaves. He goes to the quarters Unwin was assigned to and knocks on the door.

[Drackstin]

Tasidar looks to umbear as he leaves the castle. "Thank you, I'll take that into consideration" He looks down again and walks out, he heads to the barracks, and dosen't look back.

When Tasidar gets to the barracks he looks over the patrol schedule. He finds any gaps in the lines, any large gaps in times and any cut corners. He remaps the full city patrols to cover as much ground as possible. And to pass any entrances to the under city. "His Paladin's may be good, but without proper structure this city will be lost" he calls out to all units in the barracks. "I have new orders for all of you. We are going to make patrols tighter, and more organized. The enemy is upon us, we need to ensure the safety of the city and it's people. I will be taking a patrol myself. If there is anything to report come to me. In case of hostility do what you can to evacuate the area, send up a light signal and hold them off. Everyone you have your orders. Dismissed"

Tasidar checks the map of the city. He sees the blocked off area near the other tower. He clenches his fist. Then heads out. He looks around the city on his way, looking for anything that out of place.

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Umbear stops and looks at Nameless.

"You know what would be a good name for you? Temperance. It would fit you on many layers of the word, and you."

umbear smiles and takes Cuddles down to the Stabbles, looking for The orc stablemaster.

[paladin_artea]

Spoiler: Geiravor

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Markas takes the offered letter with a small nod, "Thanks for the warning. Camille and I had more trouble than we were expecting just yesterday so I'll definitely exercise more caution than usual on the road. Speaking of Camille, do you want her to continue on her patrol while I do this mission? Originally I would've liked to include her since she already knew what was going on. If not, I'll need to think of one or two of the others that are not busy with something else. My first choice would be Ais since they also know the whole story and their knowledge of the nobility and their aptitude for diplomacy would be very helpful, that is, if I can find them."

Spoiler: Ais

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current mood: concern, specifically directed at them.

[STDM Grizzly Ad]

I see. Gorrun replied to Malaika. Captain Rackham, if you have not ventured into drow territory by high noon, I can send some of the Varang with you to shore up your numbers. They're worth every coin.
Malaika, come with me to the crafting lab and then go fetch Horofay. I'll try to track down Jaylyn and her mother. Their particular skillsets should come in handy.

[Wolfykins]

A strange expression crossed Nameless' face, and she shook her head. "Thank you, Umbear, but, no... that doesn't feel right."

"Of course, Boss," Malaika said.
"I'll see you guys later," she said, waving her two right hands at the others as she followed Gorrun out of the room.
Once they were well on their way to the crafting lab, Malaika flashed Gorrun a pensive look.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to let members of the group leave town? Even with Shadow Walk, it's going to be difficult to get to the tower in event of an attack."

---

Tonk looked up as Umbear entered the stables with Cuddles.
"Ah, hello. Good to see you again. How are things working out for you? Have you figured out how to keep her under control?" the orc asked.

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Umbear smiled seeing Tonks.

"I think Ive Got it managed for now, Ill need to stable her for a bit while I run around places that I cant take her. Im tempted to just leave her in the park to aid in defense, but Id be worried shed get hurt while Im not there. "

He pulls out 100 Gold, handing it to Tonks.

"This should cover food for a little while, right?"

[Wolfykins]

"No! Can't protect if not with! I go!" Cuddles demanded.

Tonk jumped back, eyes widening in shock as the warcat spoke.
"Buh-wuh-huh?" he sputtered. He shook his head as if to clear it, and pushed Umbear's hand back towards him.
"No, no, you're a guest at the castle, so use of the stable is free. You took her to help you fight, huh? How did she do? She's trained, but untested," he said.

"I go," the warcat repeated petulantly.

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Umbear smiled when he jumped.

"Thats not all she can do now... she has some new tricks, and some old ones you didnt know about."

He reached back and scratched the cats ears.

"She did well enough, taking on creatures beyond the scope of most mortals. Shes becoming a hero in her own rights. "

He looked back at her.

"Cuddles, Doesnt Tonks need protection too? What if the Shiny Flying Devils come here? You dont want Gerttie's dad to get hurt do you? Itll just be for a couple hours... and if you hear the alarm sound, you can come to the tower and protect the town like all the rest of us ok?"

He looked back to Tonk.

"If you see a Half Orc girl trying to sneak out, wearing Cuddles Collar, Dont let her fool you, thats Cuddles."

He gives Tonks a wink.

Looking back to Cuddles he gives a Stern Face.

"Guard Tonks." (1d20+13)[33] Handle Animal

[Wolfykins]

Tonks blinked rapidly at Umbear, clearly confused. "Uh... alright," he said in a tone that clearly indicated it wasn't actually clear.

Cuddles ears flattened and her tail lashed angrily.
"No, soldiers here protect!" she protested. But when Umbear issued the command, she growled and walked over to Tonk. She pushed him down with one paw and then lay down like a loaf with the orc wrapped up between her paws like a plush toy.
"Fine. Safe now," she said, tail thudding rapidly against the ground while she glared at Umbear, sulking.

"Wha-! H-hey! I can't-- this isn't-- How'm I s'posed to-- Umbear! I don't need a body guard!" Tonk protested, squirming in Cuddles' implacable grip.

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Umbear gave a belly ache laugh, falling to the ground in amusement.

"No... No cuddles!"

He couldnt keep the words straight for a few moments.

"You are so Ornery."

He came up and began giving love and affection to the cat, slowly pulling her off Tonks.

"Okay, Find. Dont Guard, Cuddles, I have to go to places and be sneaky, and I dont want you to get hurt by traps, I have to go places like, through the ground, like Queue Does... I cant take you there. Guard is the Wrong word. Will you please Stay with Tonks, Or would you rather Train with Soliders and get stronger while you wait for me to come back?"

[Wolfykins]

"Make invisible and can stealth. In other form not disadvantage for size! But can detect traps like you showed!" Cuddles insisted.

Tonks chuckled. "You know, I have something from my old days that might help if you're not pulling my leg about her being able to turn into a half-orc. I have a 'Ring of Chameleon Power'. Makes it easier to blend in and avoid getting spotted. Not as good as a ring of invisibility, but at least you can attack without cancelling its effects. Cheaper, too," the orc said, digging a ring out of his pocket and holding it out to the ogre.
"I don't need it anymore, but it has some sentimental value so I didn't want to sell it. At least if Cuddles wears it, it's like it's staying in the family."

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Umbear sighed.

"I swear, Its like I already have a Daughter. Ok Cuddles, Change into Katrina, and put the ring on, you can come along."

He holds his hands out for Cuddles to take the Ring.

[STDM Grizzly Ad]

Gorrun stops. We aren't going far, and Aurix is staying within the city. I don't know her majesty's plans for Markas, but other than him, only Umbear and Captain Rackham are going to be out of range. With Tasidar and his men coming in this morning, I'm confident that the city is defensible. he then continues to the crafting lab.

[Wolfykins]

The warcat shrank and twisted, form warping and reshaping until a teenage half-orc girl with blonde hair, gray skin marked with her fey-touched silver pattern, and saber-fangs instead of tusks stood before them. She accepted the ring and put it on, smiling smugly. Her yellow eyes still looked pretty cat-like.

Tonk's jaw dropped. "Wha-- I've seen her before! I've seen that girl playing with Gurtie! I thought she was just a neighborhood kid!" he exclaimed. "What did I give you, ogre? This is no ordinary warcat."

---

Malaika nodded. "I guess I'm just not used to it. Sticking close together was always how we survived before. But everyone is so self-sufficient and independently powerful at this level. So I guess it's not surprising. It's just an adjustment."

[Darius Vibrtrar]

Umbear smiled to Tonk.

"Shes a Crafty Girl she is. She was even watching Guards to learn how to fight. "

He reached over and pulled her into a hug.

"Shes a good kitty, and I suspect shell be a powerful ally for this point on. You gave me... something beyond value."

He sighed for a moment.

"Well Tonk, with that I will take my leave. I have.... work to do."

He gives a pat on the shoulder to Tonk before heading to Peter's Family Consignment Shop.

[EdgeGrinder]

There is no answer from inside Unwin's room.

---

Spoiler: Markas

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"You can recruit Camille and Ais if you'd like. Tell them enough but not everything until the mission is complete."

---

"We will need to prepare an offering or gift. Demon blood would really get their attention, but demon ash will do. They could use it to summon." Drasaveil said.

[paladin_artea]

Spoiler: Princess Geiravor

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"Alright, fair enough. Is there anything else I need to know before I get ready? Anything about the boy's father, Lord Glanduil, for example? His family's standing with the Elves or with Juvelnord? I know this mission is urgent. Would I have time to run a few errands before leaving. I have an order to pick up, plus I was thinking of going to Brynnhildr for some help with some gear or tattoos," Markas added.

[Andrew Markham]

Aurix leans over and puts his ear to the door, listening intensely for any sign that Unwin- or anyone else- is within. Torilee, seeing what Aurix is doing, also leans over and listens.

Aurix Perception: (1d20+43)[56]
Torilee Perception: (1d20+27)[43]

Aurix and Torilee hear nothing. Aurix looks up and down the hallway awkwardly, hoping something will come along to elucidate him as to Unwin's location. No such luck. Aurix wrestles with his conscience a bit. He decides that checking on the health of one of Geiravor's retainers is a good enough reason to enter the room without permission...and if he happens to see anything of note, convenient bonus. The Paladin isn't sneaking around at all.

Aurix opens the door and silently enters the room, looking around for signs of Unwin's presence.

[EdgeGrinder]

Spoiler: Markas

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Geiravor nodded.
"You have time to go shopping. You can even hit the road tonight if you'd like. I trust your judgment. As for Glanduil, he is an Elven noble merchant from Alfheim. I believe him to be in Alfheim currently. Various Alfheimian nobles have estates here and Glanduil owns one in Fjallheim. He was not a renowned fighter or mage, but was very charming. He isn't the one to worry about. Hervir may be in Valhalla, but her presence is still here through her magic. So beware."

---

Aurix and Torilee opened the door to Unwin's room. It looked very clean as if it hadn't been used as all. The bed was made with fresh linens. The furniture is not amiss and placed in logical places.

[Andrew Markham]

Aurix examines the room more thoroughly. It looks abandoned, but he wants to make double sure.

Perception: (1d20+43)[63]

Then he steps out into the hallway and starts asking around with the castle staff, trying to find if there have been any sightings of Unwin since he purged the castle of demons yesterday.

Diplomacy: (1d20+51)[70]

Spoiler: In case of botch

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Activate Second Chance and recast from wand
(1d20)[6]
(1d20)[5]

Aurix searches the castle for Gorrun.

Spoiler: Once he finds Gorrun

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Without preamble, Aurix says in a rushed voice, "Unwin's gone. Yesterday, after I did the thing, from what I can tell. He cleaned his room, immaculately, after leaving orders for the maids to never clean, and nobody's seen him since. I think our suspicions may be confirmed now."

[Wolfykins]

Nameless tucked the bead in her pocket and, after a final glance at those still in the dining hall, turned and headed for the library. The young dragon's tufted tail swung back and forth as she walked.
Her pace quickened when she neared the library and saw Jaylyn by the doorway.
"Ah! There you are! I couldn't find you when I woke up!" she called out.

---

Aistriú fluttered into Geiravor's study and landed on Markas' shoulder.
"Hi, hope I'm not interrupting," the danthienne said. The tiny fey wore leather leggings and a tight leather corset over a loose linen blouse, all in different shades of blue. Their green-streaked blue hair was loose and flowing today.
"I'm glad you're here alone though. We need to talk about what I picked up after you left court at Helen's yesterday."